Door and panel construction



Jan. 3, 1967 H. w. wEHE, JR

DOOR AND PANEL CONSTRUCTION Original Filed June '7. 1963 A t forneysUnited States Patent O 3,295,273 DOOR AND PANEL CONSTRUCTION Herbert W.Wehe, Jr., Ligonier, Pa., assignor to Overly Manufacturing Company,Greenburg, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application June7, 1963, Ser. No. 286,289, now Patent No. 3,273,297, dated Sept. 20,1966. Divided and this application Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 495,754

, 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-145) This application is a division of my copendingapplication Serial No. 286,289, llled June 7, 1963, now Patent No.3,273,297.

The present invention relates generally to partition and doo-r panelsemployed in the division of floor space in commercial buildings toprovide separated work areas. More specifically, the invention isconcerned with door and partition panels constructed to suppress passageof noise therethrough, particularly those noises within the soundfrequencies of 125 c.p.s. and 1400 c.p.s. These latter sound frequenciesare within normal conversation and business machine noises.

Although industry has successfully employed noise reducing single anddouble doors and partitions of considerable thickness, up to 6 inchesand more, relatively little success has heretofore been had with noisereducing doors and partitions employed in dividing floor areas in olliceand other commercial buildings. These latter doors and partitions areconstructed so as to be frequently rearranged to suit changing needsand, of necessity, must be both relatively light in weight and readilyset up and removed. Thus the invention herein disclosed in concernedwith door and partition panels in the area of 1% inches thick.

Although the same panel construction may be employed in both doors andpartitions, the latter may be readily sealed to lloors and walls. Doorsbeing intended for frequent movement cannotllt tightly within theirframes and for maximum efficiencies must be provided with seals abouttheir periphery which permit door movement but restrict passage ofsound.

As is well known in the science of noise control, sound volume ismeasured in decibels and frequency is measured in cycles per second.Thus in rating a panel for noise suppression a graph is preparedcomparing decibels with cycles per second. Conversation and businessmachine noises are generally audible within the frequencies of 12Sc.p.s. and 140() c.p.s. Conversation noises outside this range may beheard but are not understandable. Since sound transmission loss, at agiven 'sound lfrequency is measured in `decibels which are based upon alogarithmic scale, a few decibels of sound transmission loss representsa considerable percentage of noise control. For example, a partitionhaving an A.S.T.M., Sound Transmission Class, rating of 40 decibelstransmits Vlomo of the incident sound, a `43 decibel Class Ratingtransmits 17/20000 of the incident sound, a 46 decibel Class Ratingtransmits 1%;,0000 of the incident sound, etc. Otherwise stated, forevery three decibel rise in sound transmission loss the efficiency ofthe panel to suppress passage of sound therethrough is doubled. In thecase of a movable panel, as a door, the clearance between the peripheryof the door and the adjacent door frame opening must be sealed toprevent unrestricted passage of sound.

One object of the invention is to provide a metal door or partitionpanel of low cost construction having improved restriction of soundpassage therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved metal dooror partition panel resistant to passage of sound therethrough andproviding passage of ventilation air therethrough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a metal door orpartition panel having high sound transmission loss and which is lireresistant.

These and other objects of the invention will be made apparent from thefollowing description and the drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. l shows in front elevation a door panel providing for ventilationand restriction of passage of sound through the panel;

FIG. ..2 shows a transverse section through FIG. 1 taken on lines IIII;

FIG. 3 shows a transverse section taken on lines III- III of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical section taken on lines IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a section taken on lines V-V of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawing, a further modification ofthe door panel is shown providing for ventilation through the door panelandsound attenuation. Here the front and back skin plates 45 and 46 areprovided with opposing connected flanges 45a and 46a at each verticaledge and each vertical edge is provided with a reinforcing plate 47 and48. Two vertically extending stiffening -channels 49 are disposedbetween the skin plates 45 and 46 and extend to adjacent the top andbott-om edges thereof defining the Iwidth of a ventilating louver throat:50. Adjacent the top of the panel in skin plate 45 and adjacent thebottom of the panel in skin plate 46 are rectangular louver openings 51and 52 extending transversely between stiffening channels 49. Extendingtransversely between said channels 49 and beneath the louver opening 52is a channel shaped member 53 having its opposite llanges connected tothe skin plates 45, 46 and defining the bottom of the louver throat 5t).Extending vertically from above louver opening 52 in skin plate 46 tothe vertical height of stifeners 49 are transverselyV spaced stiffeners54 each having one ange theerof abutting the skin plate 46 and the otherflange spaced inwardly therefrom. Each said stitfener 54 flangesabutting the skin plate 46 being held in engagement therewith by spacedspring clips 55, each clip having one end welded to the skin plate andthe opposite end resiliently engaging the stiifener flange. The top ofthe louver throat 50 is defined by the web of a channel member 56 whoseupturned flanges are secured to the skin plates 45, and inner flanges ofstiifeners 54. The ends of channel 56 abut and are secured to the websof stilfeners 49. Secured to stiileners 54 inwardly spaced llanges is anexpanded metal plate 57 forming the back wall of louver throat 5t).Plate 57 extends vertically from the top of the louver opening 52 to theweb of channel 56 and transversely between stiifeners 49. Upon the innerface of skin plate 45 and extending upwardly from -channel 53 to the-bottom edge of the louver opening 51 are transversely spaced channelstiffeners 59 having one flange abutting and welded to the skin plate 45and the opposite flange disposed inwardly therefrom. Disposed upon thelatter flanges to form the `front wall of the louver throat is anexpanded metal plate 5S having its vertical edges secured to the `websof the stitleners 49 and extending above the channel 53 to the bottom oflouver opening 51. The louver openings 51 and 52 are covered by louvers60 and 61 suitably secured therein. Preferably the plates 57 and 58 maybe of flattened expanded metal having `60 percent open area, as shown.IThe louvers 60 and 61 may be of grill type having Si) percent open areaas shown.

The hereinbefore described door constructions have as their basicpurpose to restrict passage of sound therethrough. In the art this isreferred to as structures having large or high soun-d transmission loss.Such doors find uses in not only commercial and industrial structures,

but are also highly desirable in public buildings, apartment buildings,hospitals, residences and, in fact, any structure where noise reductionis a `desirable feature. The `details of construction have beendiscussed in relation to door panels, however, the same structures arealso desirable as xed panels or partitions dividing a given iioor areainto rooms.

It is acknowledged that door and partition panels having a high soundtransmission loss are not new in the art, especially in industrialbuildings and similar establishments. Such prior panel constructionswere both bulky, heavy and relatively expensive. Maximum results havepreviously been obtained by use of multiple doors and panels, also thickconcrete and concrete block walls. However, door and wall panels -havinghigh sound transmission loss for use in oiiice buildings, hospitals,apartments, etc. are `desired to be of minimum thickness and ofreasonable cost.

The panel constructions hereinbefore described and the results obtainedtherefrom were based upon a maximum thickness of about 1% inches. Thebasic structure is of metal and the interior contains materialsgenerally referred to as non-metallic. The panels are described ashaving front and rear skin plates, but these designations are solely inreference to the drawing since sound= to be excluded, `may impinge uponeither face of the panel. For purposes of both economy and conveniencethe metal portions `of the door are desirably light in weight. Forpurposes of the drawings the metal members have been shown enlarged. ByWay of example and not intending any limitations upon the inventions,the panel metal skin plates and the metal stiifeners therefor may be of16, 18 and 20 gauge metal.

I claim:

1. In a metalgsound attenuating door panel providing ventilation betweenopposite faces thereof, in combination (a) spaced front and back skinplates having their horizontal and vertical margins connected to providean integr-al structure,

(b) a pair of transversely spaced vertical extending members disposedbetween the said skin plates and defining between t-hem the width of alouvre throat,

(c) a member extending transversely between said vertically extendingmembers adjacent the bottom margin of the panel defining the bottom ofsaid louvre throat,

(d) louvre openings through the front skin plate adjacent the top of thedoor and through the rear skin plate adjacent ythe bottom of the doorconnecting with said louvre throat,

(e) plate-like members extending the width of the louvre throat ininwardly spaced relation to cach skin plate defining the thickness ofIthe louvre throat and secured to the first said vertical members,

(f) the plate-like member adjacent the front skin plate terminating atthe bottom of the louvre opening therein and the plate-like memberadjacent the rear skin plate extending from the top of the louvreopening therein to the top of the louvre throat,

(g) stiffening members extending vertically between the front skin plateand adjacent plate-like member from the bottom of the louvre throat tothe bottom ofthe skin plate louvre opening,

(h) stitening members extending vertically between the rear skin plateand adjacent plate-like member from the top of the louvre opening in therear skin plate to adjacent the top of said panel,

(i) a member extending transversely of the door between said rst-namedmembers defining the width of the throat and closing the top thereof,said transversely extending member being attached to the front skinplate and the adjacent stiiT-eners for the rear skin plate,

(j) louvre members disposed within the plane of the louvre openings ineach -skin plate, and

(k) non-continuous sound attenuating material filling the spaces betweensaid skin plates and except within the louvre throat.

2. In a metal sound attenuating door panel construction in combination,

(a) vertically extending spaced front and rear skin plates having theiradjacent vertical edges connected to provide an open ended hollow metalstructure,

(b) vertically disposed stiffening members spaced transversely betweenthe vertical marginal edges of said skin plates with each saidstiffening member secured to the inner faces of each of said skin platesto dene between them a vertically disposed Ventilating louvre throat,

(c) a member extending transversely of said skin plates adjacent eachhorizontal edge of said panel and between said vertically disposedstiffening members deiining the vertical margins of said Ventilatinglouvre throat,

(d) an opening through each said skin plate adjacent said transverselyextending members connecting said louvre throat with the opposite facesof said door panel,

(e) perforated plate members in spaced relation to said skin platesdefining opposite walls of said louvre throat between said skin plateopenings and having their vertical marginal edges attached to saidvertical stifening members, f

(f) louvre members closing said skin plate louvre openings,

(g) a porous non-continuous sound attenuating material filling thespaces between said skin plates and stiifening members and between saidskin plates and perforated louvre lining plates and,

(h) closure members disposed between and secured to said skin plates forenclosing said porous material and dening the top and bottom horizontaledges of said door panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,395 9/1925Young 199-46 X 2,350,513 6/1944 Leadbetter 20-35 X 2,836,266 5/ 1958Leeser 52-404 2,880,471 4/1959 Von Munchhausen 20-35 X 2,948,366 8/ 1960Kelly et al. 189-46 3,004,641 10/1961 Johnson 52-455 3,061,056 10/1962Kodaras 52-145 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner,

KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner.

2. IN A METAL SOUND ATTENUATING DOOR PANEL CONSTRUCTION IN COMBINATION,(A) VERTICALLY EXTENDING SPACED FRONT AND REAR SKIN PLATES HAVING THEIRADJACENT VERTICAL EDGES CONNECTED TO PROVIDE AN OPEN ENDED HOLLOW METALSTRUCTURE, (B) VERTICALLY DISPOSED STIFFENING MEMBERS SPACEDTRANSVERSELY BETWEEN THE VERTICAL MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID SKIN PLATESWITH EACH SAID STIFFENING MEMBER SECURED TO THE INNER FACES OF EACH OFSAID SKIN PLATES TO DEFINE BETWEEN THEM A VERTICALLY DISPOSEDVENTILATING LOUVRE THROAT, (C) A MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAIDSKIN PLATES ADJACENT EACH HORIZONTAL EDGE OF SAID PANEL AND BETWEEN SAIDVERTICALLY DISPOSED STIFFENING MEMBERS DEFINING THE VERTICAL MARGINS OFSAID VENTILATING LOUVRE THROAT, (D) AN OPENING THROUGH EACH SAID SKINPLATE ADJACENT SAID TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MEMBERS CONNECTING SAIDLOUVRE THROAT WITH THE OPPOSITE FACES OF SAID DOOR PANEL, (E) PERFORATEDPLATE MEMBERS IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID SKIN PLATES DEFINING OPPOSITEWALLS OF SAID LOUVRE THROAT BETWEEN SAID SKIN PLATE OPENINGS AND HAVINGTHEIR VERTICAL MARGINAL EDGES ATTACHED TO SAID VERTICAL STIFFENINGMEMBERS, (F) LOUVRE MEMBERS CLOSING SAID SKIN PLATE LOUVRE OPENINGS, (G)A POROUS NON-CONTINUOUS SOUND ATTENUATING MATERIAL FILLING THE SPACESBETWEEN SAID SKIN PLATES AND STIFFENING MEMBERS AND BETWEEN SAID SKINPLATES AND PERFORATED LOUVRE LINING PLATES AND, (H) CLOSURE MEMBERSDISPOSED BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID SKIN PLATES FOR ENCLOSING SAIDPOROUS MATERIAL AND DEFINING THE TOP AND BOTTOM HORIZONTAL EDGES OF SAIDDOOR PANEL.